Day 23 of 28 · OpenClaw Challenge
Running OpenClaw on Your Server
⏱ 8 min
📊 Intermediate
Right now, your agent runs on your laptop. When you close the lid, it sleeps. When you shut down, it stops.
That means your morning briefing doesn't run if your computer is off at 7am. Your client follow-up workflow pauses when you leave the office.
Today you'll learn how to make your agent always on.
Why self-host?
Self-hosting means running OpenClaw on a server that's always powered on and connected. Your agent works while you sleep:
7am: Your computer is closed. Your agent sends your morning briefing anyway.
2am: A monitoring alert fires. Your agent investigates, finds the issue, and drafts a response — ready for you when you wake up.
Weekend: A client emails on Saturday. Your agent logs it, drafts a reply, and queues it for Monday morning.
The agent never sleeps, never takes a break, and never forgets.
Knowledge Check
What's the main benefit of self-hosting OpenClaw?
A
It makes the AI smarter
B
It removes the need for an API key
C
The agent runs 24/7 regardless of whether your personal computer is on
D
It makes the agent completely free to use
Self-hosting means always-on. Your automations, monitoring, and proactive tasks run continuously — even at 3am, even on weekends, even when you're on vacation.
Your hosting options
You don't need a data center. Here are three popular approaches:
Option 1: A cheap VPS — Virtual private servers from providers like DigitalOcean, Hetzner, or Linode start at $5-10/month. You get a small server in the cloud, always on, accessible from anywhere.
Option 2: A Raspberry Pi at home — A $50-80 mini computer that sits on your desk. It runs OpenClaw on your home network. Bonus: all data stays physically in your house.
Option 3: A cloud instance — AWS, Google Cloud, or Azure. More expensive but better if you need reliability guarantees or your company already uses cloud infrastructure.
Knowledge Check
Which hosting option keeps all your data physically in your home?
C
There's no way to keep data at home
D
A Raspberry Pi running on your home network
A Raspberry Pi runs on your home network. All data stays on that device in your house. Nothing leaves your home unless you explicitly configure it to connect to external services (like email APIs).
Docker makes it easy
The technical setup is simpler than you'd think. OpenClaw provides a Docker image — a pre-packaged version that includes everything the agent needs to run.
Think of Docker like a shipping container for software. Everything is inside the container — the code, the configuration, the dependencies. You just run it.
I set up OpenClaw on a $5/month VPS. Is it working?
Checking... yes! Your server-hosted agent is running ✓
📊 **Status**:
— Uptime: 3 days, 7 hours
— Automations running: 4 (morning briefing, inbox triage, standup digest, client follow-ups)
— Memory: healthy (68% available)
— Last action: sent your morning briefing at 7:00am today
Everything's smooth. Your agent is working while you're not.
Can I still talk to you from my phone?
Absolutely. I'm running on the server but you can reach me from:
📱 WhatsApp
💬 Telegram
📧 Email
💻 Any web browser
Same agent, accessible from anywhere. The server just means I never sleep.
↻ Replay conversation
Knowledge Check
What is Docker in the context of self-hosting?
A
A security tool for protecting your data
B
A packaging system that bundles everything OpenClaw needs into a single, easy-to-run container
C
A cloud hosting company
D
A programming language for AI agents
Docker packages software into containers — self-contained units that include everything needed to run. For OpenClaw, this means you don't need to manually install dependencies or configure the server. You just run the container.
What changes when you self-host
What stays the same: Everything works exactly as it did on your laptop. Same tools, same memory, same workflows. You talk to the same agent.
What gets better: Automations run 24/7. The agent can handle overnight tasks. You can access it from any device, anywhere.
What to watch: Server costs (small but ongoing), keeping the server updated, and monitoring that the agent is actually running.
Good morning! Here's your briefing — prepared at 7am while your laptop was off.
☀️ **Thursday, Feb 19**
📅 4 meetings today (first at 9am)
📧 3 emails need your reply — drafts ready
🔔 Overnight: client Tom replied to your follow-up (positive — wants to proceed)
📊 Weekly report auto-generated and saved to Drive
🌤️ 58°F, light rain expected after 2pm
I handled 12 automated tasks overnight while your computer was off. Want details?
↻ Replay conversation
Final Check
What's the most affordable way to self-host OpenClaw for a single person?
A
Self-hosting is free — no hardware needed
B
A $5-10/month VPS or a one-time $50-80 Raspberry Pi
C
You need to build your own server ($1,000+)
D
AWS enterprise instance ($200+/month)
A basic VPS at $5-10/month or a Raspberry Pi (one-time $50-80) is all you need. You don't need enterprise infrastructure for a personal agent. Start small and scale only if needed.
🖥️
Day 23 Complete
"Your agent never sleeps now. $5/month for a 24/7 AI assistant — that's the deal of the century."
Tomorrow — Day 24
Privacy & Security
Your agent handles sensitive data. Let's make sure it's locked down tight.